[Self-Introduction] I chose time over salary. 36 years old, former finance man, unemployed, assets of 94 million yen.

Nice to meet you, I'm Aki.

Thank you for reading this article.

I am 36 years old. I live with my wife and my two children, a son and a daughter in elementary school.
In March 2026, I retired from the financial institution where I had worked for 14 years.
I am currently unemployed. If my self from a year ago heard this, I think they would probably ask, 'What are you doing?'

It has been about three months since I started this note.
I have written about my retirement, asset building, money talks with my children, and daily essays—but come to think of it, I hadn't written a self-introduction article.

Better late than never, please let me introduce myself.

Brief Biography

2012 (22 years old) Joined a financial institution
2015 (26 years old) Married
2016 (27 years old) First child born
2018 (29 years old) Second child born
2025 (35 years old) Wife retired from full-time employment
2026 (36 years old) I retired

Both my wife and I are unemployed.
It was planned (probably).

Asset Status (As of May 24, 2026)

Deposits 18,912,000 yen
Securities 68,973,000 yen
Insurance savings 3,342,000 yen
iDeCo 3,737,000 yen
Total 94,964,000 yen

I mainly invest in Japanese stocks.
Annual dividends are 2,093,000 yen.
I wanted options in life, so I spent 10 years building this up.

What I write about in this note

I write about four themes and small daily essays.

In our family, a story begins whenever someone makes a casual remark.
I would be happy if you could read it and laugh, thinking, 'They're doing something strange.'

For the themes, I cherish writing about the movements of the heart.
What I saw and how I felt.
What I was confused about and how I thought about it.
How I acted and where I went astray.
I don't think it will be an answer for anyone else.
But I would be happy if it could be a trigger for you to think.

Record until retirement (Complete)

This is a record of a 36-year-old company employee who worried and struggled about 'family' and 'happiness' until he retired.
I loved my job. Even so, I didn't want to stay at the company at the cost of my time with my family.
This is not a success story, but a record of choosing my own life for myself.

Life after FIRE

I chose to spend time with my children and became unemployed. I am happy.
But being happy doesn't mean everything is fulfilled.
I am writing about the honest movements of my heart after FIRE.

Asset formation and asset management

Over the past 10 years, I have gradually cultivated income sources other than my salary.
My goal was not to increase my assets, but to create a state where I am not tied to a company.
Rather than technical talk, I dig deeper into how I thought and how I acted.

Financial education for children

As a father who is a former finance man, I am gradually talking to my son about money.
It is financial education where we think together while experiencing things, rather than focusing on technical terms.
I want to pass on the 'ability to think' rather than just knowledge.

Finally

I am an introspective person.

When something happens, I think about it immediately.
Why did I think that way?
What was bothering me?
What did I want to value?

I admit, I am a bit of a pain.

But thanks to that, I feel like I have managed not to treat my life carelessly. Maybe.

From here on out, while being lost, while thinking, and surely while doing some strange things, I will walk a 'life I can think was happy' and write about it.

I would be happy if reading this note could be a time where you can occasionally chuckle or feel like thinking a little about your own life.
I cannot provide the correct answer for anyone else.
But I believe I can at least be a catalyst.

Your likes and follows are a great encouragement to me.

I would be happy if you continue to read my work.
Thank you for your support.